The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 36

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 36

“You remember that Master Richard joined the Order of the Holy Knights at 16, right? It happened right before you went missing.”

“After joining and becoming an apprentice knight, the second young master became a full knight in just 2 years. Being a full holy knight at 18 was a first, and there was quite a commotion about him being the youngest holy knight.”

“But how should I put it, the young master had an ascetic and deadly atmosphere during those days. He never smiled, never said a word… He rarely returned to Birch Tree Castle, and even when he did come, he would just train all day. He barely spoke to his family either.”

“Through such efforts, he became a supreme knight at 22. Everyone was celebrating then too… but that’s when he started drinking…”

For the next 4 years until now. Until he turned 26, Richard had been living like a wreck, drowning in alcohol. He even gave up the training he had been so passionate about and rarely held a sword.

Lindsey, an amethyst who knew the family’s intimate affairs well, told her more details about Richard.

“Master Richard… probably wanted to forget at first. About refusing your request that night. When the missing person search began, he testified just once and never spoke of it again. The other family members didn’t bring it up either…”

“But it seems he was constantly tormented by guilt. That’s probably why he didn’t come home and only focused on training. At that time, Master Richard really swung his sword like a madman.”

“After becoming the youngest holy knight, ah, the Duke tried to throw a modest formal appointment celebration party, but Master Richard said he didn’t need such things, and if there was time for that, they should find Lillieta instead, which led to a big fight between them.”

“After becoming a supreme knight at 22, he came home after a long time, but the atmosphere was strange then. I heard this from Master Richard’s amethyst… When a holy knight achieves great merit or becomes a supreme knight, they get a chance to receive a personal oracle through the Pope. The young master used that opportunity to ask about your whereabouts…”

No one knows what the content of that oracle was except Richard himself and the Pope who delivered it.

“It probably wasn’t good news. After hearing it and returning home, he started drinking like crazy. When drunk, he would repeatedly say it was all his fault… Thanks to the Order giving him extended leave, things were okay for a while, but he didn’t return even after his leave ended.”

“Eventually, the young Duke stepped in and processed it as extended sick leave for recuperation. Fortunately, the Order of the Holy Knights accepted it readily… Seeing that he hasn’t been expelled yet, I think the Pope bastard, ahem! The Pope might have guessed that the young master became like that because of the oracle. Anyway, 4 years have passed in that state.”

“Since he had trained so well, his body didn’t completely break down, but he’s been living too much like a wreck, so rehabilitation isn’t easy. He has picked up a sword again, but it doesn’t seem to be going well… It’s questionable whether he can return to the Order of the Holy Knights.”

Actually, what Rita most wanted to ask Richard was what oracle he had received from the Pope.

But since that seemed like something she should ask when they were alone, she only talked about his rehabilitation situation for now. Even with just that, Richard couldn’t meet her eyes.

Lillieta looked back and forth at her brothers who had suddenly fallen silent and let out a small sigh.

Meanwhile, the group reached the hunting camp that the servants had set up in advance. The Duke, who had arrived first, was welcoming his children with a bright face but was puzzled by the strange silence flowing between them.

“Did something happen?”

“No, we were just talking.”

Rita quickly dismounted from her uncomfortable horse and approached the Duke.

“How does the hunting proceed?”

“Ah, do you see those people holding flags? They’re squires and servants from the knight order, and they’re the beaters. The beaters first find the prey and raise their flags…”

Duke Raskail excitedly explained the hunting process, forgetting the awkward silence between the siblings.

Lillieta decided to leave the damn brothers who didn’t want to show weakness to their sister alone for now and focused on the hunting explanation.

‘The hunting targets, listed in order of difficulty, are bears, wild boars, pigeons, foxes, deer, rabbits. When the beaters drive the prey, you watch the flags carefully and shoot the prey with bow or gun… apparently.’

How boring.

Rita was inwardly disappointed. She hadn’t expected much since hunting was supposed to be a sport and hobby, but this method didn’t seem like it would be refreshing at all.

‘It would be more frustrating instead.’

Perhaps her disappointment showed on her face, as the Duke asked carefully.

“What’s wrong, Lillieta? If you don’t feel like hunting…”

“No, I…”

She was about to brush it off saying she was fine, but shook her head and spoke her true feelings.

“Now that I know the method, I’d like to hunt alone without beaters.”

“That’s dangerous, Lillieta. This forest has many wild boars and bears, and even herbivores like deer can cause serious injury if you get caught by their antlers. Besides, the revolver you have has a short range…”

The Duke frowned and shook his head. Rita almost let out a hollow laugh.

“Dangerous…”

Indeed, simple words couldn’t convey the reality. What kind of life she had lived.

‘Though I understand since I must look like just a child to Papa.’

This was definitely going to be frustrating.

She spread her Oaths and expanded her ki sense. Then she aimed her revolver skyward without even looking at it.

Magic guns and revolvers were quite different types, but it wasn’t like she had never used such old-fashioned guns. There were many times when she couldn’t afford to be picky about weapons.

“Papa, magic gunmanship is very different from regular shooting. Let me show you directly.”

“Lillieta?”

As the Duke looked confused, a subtle golden light wrapped around the barrel and a bang echoed. It was a much quieter and more pleasant gunshot compared to gunpowder firearms.

Soon after, something fell with a thud at a spot slightly away from them. A pigeon that had been shot precisely in the head.

“Th-this is…”

“No way, she shot a bird at an invisible height without even looking and hit it…?”

“That’s a revolver, right? How? The range of a revolver is only…”

The knights and servants around them stirred. While the Duke’s eyes widened, Rita moved her gun barrel again. Among the countless targets felt through her expanded senses, she chose a large one in a direction where there were no people.

‘There are quite a few tree branches in the way, so I’ll need a stronger magic bullet.’

An excellent magic gunner doesn’t need to open the cylinder and load directly. They flow Oaths while holding the gun to craft magic bullets in the empty chambers.

And immediately fired. It took less than a second from aiming to shooting.

There was no need to look directly this time either. It wasn’t a situation where she had to precisely hit the uvula inside a demon beast’s mouth while avoiding civilians struggling in the beast’s grasp – just a large bear wandering alone was nothing.

Bang. The fired magic bullet crushed the tree branches in its path, leaving a golden trajectory as it headed deep into the forest.

The Duke stared at Rita with a dazed expression. She gestured with her chin to a beater standing nearby in shock.

“Go check it.”

“Pardon?”

“Go confirm the target.”

“Ah, yes, yes!”

The flag-bearing beaters hurriedly pushed through the thicket toward where the gun had been fired. After a moment, shouting could be heard from afar.

“A b-bear! A brown bear was hit! Instant death!”

The Duke’s mouth fell open. Leonhardt blinked blankly, and Richard chattered to his brother, ‘I told you so, she blew off a wyvern’s head!’

Rita holstered her revolver with a slight smile.

“As you can see, I don’t need beaters, Papa. Beasts pose no danger to me at all.”

The frozen Duke stammered as he spoke.

“W-wait, wait a moment, Lillieta… This is magic gunmanship? What you learned in that world?”

“Yes.”

“The revolver’s range seems impossibly extended? The power is strange too… How did you aim? You barely looked properly.”

“Hmm.”

Rita wasn’t Oli, so she had no confidence in explaining magic gunmanship with words. Honestly, she didn’t know much about the theoretical principles of magic guns.

“Let me show you again. Slowly this time.”

So she simply drew the revolver with her right hand and gathered Oaths in her empty hand.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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